This Thursday (tomorrow) Zoltán László and Denis Osipov will play a match at 21:00 Budapest/Warsaw time.

Zoltán László, Hungary, is one of the best blitz players in the world. He won the title Player of the month in the series of online tournaments Monday Blitz Evenings many times and achieved one of the best results in the Euroleague this season, 49.5 points in 60 games. He is also the current leader of the White Meijin tournament series. In real life, he started playing in tournaments 8 years ago and so far has participated in 9 competitions shown on gomokuworld.com. His last rated game dates back to 2011, after which his rating became 1609.

Denis Osipov is one of the best Russian players. His real-life rating is 1745, which is the 15th line in the world ranking list. In 2015, he qualified to play in the final of the Russian gomoku championship (together with 9 other players) and took the 6th place. Concerning online tournaments, he played in the IRP championship the last year and won 75% of his matches, which turned out to be one of the best efficiencies across all participants that season. His well-known nicknames on playok.com include c0sm0s and nirrvana, both being 2000+.

Rules of the match: gomoku, exactly five-in-a-row (overlines do not count as wins), 4 games, 10 min per player in each game, swap2. The players are allowed to use only their brains, i.e., they are allowed only to look at the board shown on the screen and click. It is not allowed to use programs to analyse a position, use libraries, written notes, literature, analyse a position on a real or virtual board by placing stones, get hints from other people, etc.

Here is how you can watch the match:
1. Go to http://www.playok.com/en/gomoku
2. Click on GUEST
3. In the upper part of the screen, change the playing room to "#100... bieniasze" if you find yourself being in another playing room (which is unlikely).
4. Click at the table at which russroulette (Denis' nickname) and soldier1 (Zoltán's nickname) are playing.

The match between Denis and Zoli was eventually played a week after the date initially agreed.

On the day initially agreed, Denis showed up only an hour after the time agreed. He said his car had broken down, making it impossible for him to arrive home in time. He was eager to play the match immediately after he showed up, but Zoli had already left.

The match was rescheduled to be played on Thursday, 18 August, at 21:00 Budapest/Warsaw time, and re-advertised on the Russian gomoku discussion board, both in English and Russian. Here is the English text of the re-advertisement: https://vk.com/topic-19499145_34028033?post=11871

This time both players showed up in time, and the match proved to be thrilling, incredibly intense, and even dramatic.

In the first game, Denis had almost outplayed Zoli, being in a winning position and having a huge time advantage - more than 1 min vs. 13 seconds - but made a blunder, allowing Zoli to win the game.

The second game was very hard for both players, too, and lasted 18 minutes. Denis was in a losing position for a moment, but was able to take the initiative and outplay Zoli, equalising the score.

The third game was, in my opinion, the best game of the match. Zoli defended very well, then took the initiative from Denis, forced him to spend time to carefully choose defending moves, and finally played a very nice VCF, playing six fours in a row in order to create a 4x3 fork. The game lasted 17 minutes, and none of the players had a win (at least one that could be found in a 10 min game) until the very end phase of the game.

In the fourth game, Zoli put one of his favourite corner openings, and soon Denis made a too optimistic move, allowing Zoli to quickly win near the corner.

As a result, Zoli won the match 3-1, but the match demonstrated that Denis and Zoli are very good opponents for each other, and could end with any score.

After the match, Zoli told me that he enjoyed the games and that he would be happy to play a rematch if Denis wanted it.

As the match had been advertised, there were many spectators - their number varied between about 17 and 25 during the match.

I find such matches very interesting and contributing to making gomoku more popular.

A couple of weeks before the match between Zoli and Denis, Usiek played a similar gomoku match on playok.com against Roman Berezin, who has the 5th dan in renju and qualified more than once to play in the Russian Renju Premier League. The match consisted of 6 games, 10 min per player in each of them, as had been agreed. Similar to the match between Denis and Zoli, it had been advertised in the Russian gomoku community, both in English and Russian. Here is the English version of the advertisement: https://vk.com/topic-19499145_34028033?post=11825

The match was thrilling and intense, and Usiek won 4-2. One of the games won by Usiek ended in the fast-clicking stage, when each of the players had no more than a few seconds left. Undoubtedly, both players proved to be very good opponents for each other.

I have got a hope that there are some other brave Polish players who would be happy to contribute to making gomoku more popular by participating in similar international matches - widely advertised and attended by many spectators.

If so, I would be happy if such players could reply in this thread or send me a private message on playok.com. My nickname there is sandra113. Having experience of successfully organising two matches (described above) and attracting public attention to them, I am quite sure I could help organise more of them, especially as I perfectly speak both English and Russian and am a true gomoku fan

If any of you decide to try your luck in such a match, just let me know, and you may get experience and emotions that you will never forget, and also contribute to popularisation of this wonderful game

I just wanted to mention that during IRP season, in current formula, there are plenty of similar matches, at least one or two per each round, including participation of many live tournaments winners like Polish Championship or Team World Championship

I haven't decided yet, but new season shall start in the end of September, maybe a little bit later.

Nevertheless, I think this is not problem of courage, but rather of free time available and appropriate playing level that would make such a match equal and entertaining.

Of course, I am well aware of the IRP championship. It is an excellent tournament, and I have watched many IRP matches I think you are doing a great job as the organiser

What I am trying to do is something that is complementary to the IRP and beyond its limitations:

1. In the IRP championship, only those who have committed to play the entire season can play. Many top players do not want to play the entire season and, as a result, do not sign up for the IRP championship, but they may be happy to play one-off matches, and I am happy to help organise them You see, Zoli did not participate in the IRP championship the last season, but he is perhaps the best blitz player in the world, and he does not mind occasionally playing one-off matches

2. In the IRP championship, matches always consist of 4 games, 10 min per player in each of them, while I offer the freedom to choose the match parameters. Some players prefer longer games (e.g., 20+ min), while others enjoy the adrenaline rush of 1 min duels I am sure that a match of 1 min games between Zoli and Adif would attract a great deal of attention, and maybe I will succeed in organising it

Obviously, playing a one-off match does not take much time. If a player has spent years to reach a high level, he is likely to be able to find a couple of more hours to play a match, isn't he?

Also, both matches organised by me were very entertaining They were not one-sided at all

Undoubtedly, playing in such a match is a question of courage But after all, what do we all play gomoku for if not facing challenges? I highly respect Zoli, Denis, Usiek, and Roman for their courage to face a challenge by playing in a widely advertised match.

You see, Zoli did not participate in the IRP championship the last season, but he is perhaps the best blitz player in the world

What means blitz in your definition?
Maybe on 1 min he is one of the best (but hard to check it when more of top players take part only several tournaments (in MBE) in a year), but at longer times (2-10) I am sure that not.

sandra113 napisał/a:

Obviously, playing a one-off match does not take much time. If a player has spent years to reach a high level, he is likely to be able to find a couple of more hours to play a match, isn't he?

Personally for me it is motivation problem to play friendly match, not time problem.
I prefer tournaments for some rate, ranking or points.

Of course Sandra, every gomoku initiative is great for this game. Good luck.

Maybe on 1 min he is one of the best (but hard to check it when more of top players take part only several tournaments (in MBE) in a year), but at longer times (2-10) I am sure that not.

Do you mean to say that Zoli is not one of the best players when it comes to 2-10 min games? If so, who is definitely stronger than him at this time control?

Just to clarify - I said that Zoli is "perhaps the best blitz player". I used the word "perhaps," and I think that if we organised a blitz league and somehow lured all top players into playing in it, Zoli might win it by a statistically significant margin (regardless of whether the time control was 1 min or 10 min). I don't know whether he would. He might. I have no evidence or statistics showing that he definitely wouldn't.

My opinion is partially based on the results of the last EL season. As you know, EL matches consist of 10 min games, and Zoli earned 49.5 points in 60 games, which means 82.5%. Only Gergo Toth achieved a higher efficiency - 83.33% - but he played only half as many games as Zoli did. I do not count the other players who achieved a higher efficiency, Edward Rizvanov and Alex Bear, as they played only 16 and 2 games, respectively.

Cytat:

Personally for me it is motivation problem to play friendly match, not time problem.
I prefer tournaments for some rate, ranking or points.

I can't resist saying that these guys did not fight for rating points - they fought for glory So should you, with black and white stones instead of swords

I widely advertise the matches I help organise, and also write detailed post-match reports and post them on gomoku discussion boards. So, by playing in such a match, you can make a permanent footprint in the gomoku history And of course, such matches are attended by many spectators

If it goes well, I will definitely create a special website dedicated to such matches. They do not need to be organised very often - one match between top players per month would be a good frequency, I think

Do you mean to say that Zoli is not one of the best players when it comes to 2-10 min games? If so, who is definitely stronger than him at this time control?

I didn't write nowhere that someone is definitely stronger than he, but a lot of players aren't at least worse than zoli at blitz, for example: gergo, peking, bano, adifek, zukole, gregi etc.

sandra113 napisał/a:

My opinion is partially based on the results of the last EL season. As you know, EL matches consist of 10 min games, and Zoli earned 49.5 points in 60 games, which means 82.5%. Only Gergo Toth achieved a higher efficiency - 83.33% - but he played only half as many games as Zoli did.

Just one season. Each player has "his 5 minutes, check statistics of EL.

sandra113 napisał/a:

I widely advertise the matches I help organise, and also write detailed post-match reports and post them on gomoku discussion boards. So, by playing in such a match, you can make a permanent footprint in the gomoku history And of course, such matches are attended by many spectators

Are you not able to promote tournaments which already exist for example "white meijin"?
Maybe some "footprints" for winners from every week or month could attract more players?

sandra113 napisał/a:

So, is there any strong player here who wants to try his luck?

I played with him special match after MBE 1 year ago (we both were winners of 2 months). Score: 10-11.

angst napisał/a:

Nevertheless, I think this is not problem of courage, but rather of free time available and appropriate playing level that would make such a match equal and entertaining.

Today, 7 Sep, Ilya Muratov (also known as furla) and Łukasz Majksner (also known as Usiek and undothefuture) will play a match at 20:00 Warsaw time.

Ilya Muratov, Russia, is a two times champion of Russia and took the 3rd place in the Russian championship this year. He plays fast games extremely well and, in particular, this year defeated everyone in the Laryx tournament, where the time control was 20 min + 10 sec, including the current Russian champion Yury Tarannikov as well as Mikhail Lomakin and Alexandr Bogatirev.

Łukasz Majksner, Poland, is a team world champion (and best on the 3rd board) and also won the 3rd place in Czech Open 2015. He is the winner of the Black Meijin series of online tournaments and a very well trained online blitz player - he almost never misses "Monday Blitz Evenings," a series of tournaments on 1 min games, and regularly qualifies to play in its monthly Grand Final, where only a few best players advance to, and once won it, earning the title "Player of the Month."

The match will be played on playok.com

Rules of the match: gomoku, exactly five-in-a-row (overlines do not count as wins), 8 games, 7 min per player in each game, swap2. The players are allowed to use only their brains, i.e., they are allowed only to look at the board shown on the screen and click. It is not allowed to use programs to analyse a position, use libraries, written notes, literature, analyse a position on a real or virtual board by placing stones, get hints from other people, etc.

Statistics of online tournaments suggest that both players are very good opponents for each other. The last Euroleague season they achieved comparable efficiencies: Łukasz earned 70% of points in 42 games, and Ilya earned 65% of points in 72 games. The same applies to the Black Meijin series of tournaments, where Ilya and Łukasz took, respectively, 10.8 and 9.4 points per tournament on average, but Łukasz won the series as he played in more tournaments, 20 vs 9.

Undoubtedly, the match is going to be truly intense and exciting, especially given that it consists of a considerable number of games.

Here is how you can watch the match:
1. Go to http://www.playok.com/en/gomoku
2. Click on "GUEST" (unless you want to register an account or use an already registered nickname of yours).
3. In the upper part of the screen, change the playing room to "#100... bieniasze" and "#300... dobrocin" to see in which of these two rooms the match is being played, and click on the table at which it is being played. Łukasz will be on the nickname plgomoku, and Ilya's nickname will be durlo.

Come watch and support your brave compatriot in his battle against such a strong opponent.

Sure, in contrast to 7 min games, a long time control allows making well-thought moves and competing on the ability to perform a deep analysis.

No wonder many players prefer a long time control, and one of them is Denis Osipov aka c0sm0s, who would be happy to play a widely advertised match of long time control games against a strong opponent.

Would you play such a match with him? After I informed Denis about your comment above, with which he fully agrees, he was happy to confirm me he would love to play a match of long time control games with you.

What he proposes is 4 games, 30 min per player in each of them. Two games on one day and the other two on another day. He would prefer playing on business days starting at 21:00 Warsaw time.

Undoubtedly, after I advertise it, such a match would attract a great deal of attention, especially in the Russian gomoku community, and thereby help popularise gomoku. I would like to show you this picture to give you an idea what attendance you can expect. Also, you see, people got used to blitz games on playok.com, and the match we propose to you would help them appreciate the beauty of long time control games.